One Jump or Two

Furry, cute and full of the milk of human kindness

By Orietta Guerrera, Rural Reporter
April 24, 2006

Melbourne researchers have stumbled across a compound in wallaby milk that is 100 times more effective than penicillin in fighting antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

The team from the Victorian Department of Primary Industries was examining the ingredients of wallaby milk when it identified the super-potent compound, and its potential to combat bacteria and fungus including E. coli, streptococci, salmonella and golden staph.

Research team leader Ben Cocks said the discovery could have a profound impact on both animal and human health.

"We made the first observation a bit over a year ago, and since then we've got much more information about it, about how it's made, the range of bacteria that it's active against, and how potent it is," he said yesterday.

"And from a biological, evolutionary perspective it's very interesting because there's no equivalent in humans or in cows.

"It seems as if the placental mammals like humans and cows lost the gene for this anti-microbial."

Wallabies are born without a proper immune system and rely on the nutrients in their mother's milk until they begin to develop antibodies at 100 days old.

The scientists were researching the chemical properties of the breast milk of tammar wallabies at the department's research centre in Attwood to identify how their immune-deficient newborns built up resistance to bacteria while growing in the pouch.

They had hoped this research would lead to increasing the protein richness in cows' milk for consumers, but instead made the vital health discovery. Laboratory tests showed the compound was 100 times more potent than penicillin in attacking bacteria.

While the researchers have only tested the milk of tammar wallabies, Dr Cocks believes the bacteria-fighting compound will also be found in the milk of other wallabies and kangaroos.

He said the compound was relatively easy to commercially synthesise, but the next step was to examine whether the compound was safe for human use, and if so, whether it would be best applied intravenously, topically or orally.

The group has approached pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, hoping they will co-operate to develop the product. "This is all early stages," Dr Cocks said. "Even if someone picks it up, you're looking at six years plus."

Agriculture Minister Bob Cameron said yesterday: "We've taken a patent on that compound and DPI has been showing this to drug companies who have an interest in this because of the resistance to antibiotics, and obviously that's becoming a growing problem."

http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/pouched-in-kindness/2006/04/23/1145730811695.html